Mental Illness? Stigma? Get the Help. Don’t Give Up!

Dr. Elyn Saks was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and even then, she still managed to hold a job, found a partner and got married. How can she achieve all these accomplishments even with a serious illness such as schizophrenia? And if she can, then why do we have so many people with schizophrenia living on the street? Dr. Saks stated that she had excellent treatment, wonderful family and friends, and supportive work environment, and even then, she did not make her illness public until later in life because of the stigma that still exists against mental illness. But later on in life, she has learned to contact her doctors when she needed help. She learned techniques such as eating comfort food, listening to quiet music, and minimizing all stimulation to deal with her symptoms. Similarly, I have worked with many people who learned to manage their mental illness in therapy, and not letting the illness take over their lives. If you are struggling at the moment then please get the help that you need.

Reference:

Saks, E. R. (2013, January 25). Successful and schizophrenic. New York Times.